Chapter 13 The Raging Fire Went Exstinct Part Two

Of course at time there were slight hitches here and there ,as nothing were perfect.It can never be plain sailing without any troubles for there were some human being who were born to cause or find trouble but to Ken who had many previous encounters with such rogues,but this time around he was well prepared for them.His experiences very telling beyond his imagination.

He with his vast experience knew how to tackle them.He also know how to be patient and tolerated to avoid any serious quarrels and unnecessary clashes.From his studies "The Art Of War",he knows how to lead his enemies astray by being "friendly" with them without reviewing to them his strength,thus leading them to be complacent and dropped their guards against him.Having lured them to loose their eyes on him then he like a crouching tiger will pounced on them gently.Eradicating them softly without them noticing who did that to them.

There was one such incidence where the Mill's accountant tried to demoralize him.With him around he was bragging about his status throwing his weights all round.He too have prior knowledge that Ken was a force to reckon with but still insisted forcing his way through thinking that the Boss will always side him.He was dam right the Boss was with him most of the time,but no one should be invincible he can be destroyed.

Ken's patient and tolerance of him and his henchmen paid off handsomely that accountant being inexperienced in plantation life felt prey to his own foully.Within that period a pseudo Engineer took over the Mill.This new man actually was just a staff of the Mill elsewhere coming in to replace Ken' friend who had resigned.

He was bluffing his way around until the accountant got proves that he was incompetent and thus removed.His presence kept the accountant busy for a while.With that "engineer" out of the way the accountant moved back to Ken.Some how the Boss after some time with no apparent reasons told him to leave.That surprised many as well as Ken.He suspected that his was Ken that knocked him off.He was wronged.

Somehow he returned two years later.But a leopard never changed its spots he remained as busy as can be.It would have been alright had he struck to his own job.It was also alright if he find faults with the plantation's crop.It was still okay should he reduced the extraction rate of the plantation's crop to make their acceptance of outside crops to magnify his Mill's extraction rate as good.But no he kept on pressing and stepping on Ken's toes.

His advances were unnecessary and to stop his overlapping jobs Ken placed a tin of dirty cylinder oil to welcome him.Should he ever do that in Ken's office that was what he will be presented with.It was common knowledge what that tin of oil was for.Even the Boss heard of it but since nothing happened he just laughed it off.

Due to their inability to maintain their own engines to pump water from the huge lakes they had to forcibly take the plantation engines for their used leaving the plantation without electricity for a few days..Sometime returning not in working condition.Ken kept his cool and allowed him the liberty to do that despite his outrageous moved.Little did the accountant knew that the Boss was aware of all his actions.

In 1996 the accountant received information first that a police raiding party was on it way to arrest all planters for their involvements in employing illegal Indonesian workers.That put him to fright for that very instant he looked for Ken.Fortunately Ken was still in the Office.On hearing that Ken wanted to drive off immediately but the accountant insisted on going along with him.Apparently after they left the plantation the raiding police arrived and they escaped arrest just in the nick of time.

Ken had wanted to stay at home in Kuala Lumpur but the accountant advised him not to and so they went into hiding in USJ.The accountant had an extra house there so they lodged there for almost three weeks.They returned when the Boss had settled every things with the police.

Only to be disappointed that the Indian Assistant that the Boss recruited was trying to usurp his position and making false claims against the plantation.He was caught red handed by Ken and sacked without mercy. His actions made the Boss very furious and then said "Aaya,like that you recruit your Assistant better".It was timely he came back otherwise the plantation would have incurred huge losses.

With the above happenings,that did not mean that the accountant and Ken have become good friends as the saying goes a leopard never changed its spots.With patient Ken waited for the opportune time to strike back and get even.This type of crooks never learn,they were given an inch they want a foot and than a mile.It was best to retreat and watch his every move.He like all Ken's staffs and contractors thought Ken was afraid.That was the idea.

An outward clash with force will be no good as he was the Boss's hand picked man. He was often bragging about it.To destroy him once and for all,must have a well plan.This was the kind of man who can steal from the bank to claim that the cash as extra from the bank escorted cash.There was no doubt that the bank cashier paid out by mistake the extra $1000/=.

He should have returned it to the bank when the guard returned to ask whether there were some wrongly paid out cash.Instead,he surrendered that to the Boss.What can he get by so doing?Neither did the Boss rewarded him anything nor did the Boss praaaaaaaaised him.Only the poor cashier suffered with that lost.

He tried to control everything his eyes can see but can never handle.He mishandled the operation of the Mill as well.He failed to put back all the safety measures of the Mill removing them as unnecessary waste of money which resulted with a worker falling accidentally into the hot water effluent pond,killing the poor guy almost instantly.It was his fault by removing all those barriers.The fatality was caused by his negligence.

Another good example of how he tried to frame Ken was
that he once took a piece of flattened metal pipe to Ken accusing him of trying to wreck the Mill's machinery by adding metals to the crops.Ken took it calmly keeping his cool.When he next visited the Boss Ken brought that along and slowly showed it to the Boss.

He told the Boss the accusation directed to him as trying to sabotage the Mill's machinery which was absurd as the flattened more than 2" pipe was from the Mill as the plantation does not handle any piping more than 2".They do not have that type of materials only the mill have them.He quietly took over and told Ken to keep quiet as he will handle it themselves.

This crook did not stop there,for a week he collected almost a small pickup of under ripe crop and took along to lodge another complain against Ken.Of all nerves he unloaded those unripe fruits in front of the head office.Ken knowing that went down to see the Boss and accepted responsibility of them.

Did the Boss punished Ken?.No no never.He said to Ken," Just take care of your boys and see that it do not happened again".Ken agreed and asked for only two bunches to taken back to his office to show his people.The rest the accountant had to load them back to the Mill.

There were many similar instances where gross arrogance were committed due to his errors and bad decisions.Mentioning them will definitely be lengthy and almost the same.It takes a lot patient to tolerate his odd behavior.

By then Ken 's position was very formidable and to knock him off was almost the impossible things to do.But that accountant was relentless still as persistent.Fortune had it that he will fall through his own stupidity.

The Boss for one hated those who drink and got drunk,that was one thing he ever despised .For the accountant must drink a stout a day despite Doctor advice to abstained from them,without it he will coughed vigorously without halt.That was one thing ,any way one drink was nothing to him.

One day his contractor invited him and his hunch man for dinner in town.He was so happy that he let off his guard and began drinking until drunk.All of them were badly drunk and made hell of a racket in town.At about 10.00 p.m. they had enough and wandered home.

Arriving at the second gate at the river side he got very angry because the gate was locked a bit too soon.He shook the gate vigorously,kicking and banging it but the gate did not bulged,so he shouted on top his voice,"Ken,you bloody B........ Why have you locked the Gate?".Ken actually was awoke and heard every thing but remained silent.He too was puzzle as to why his gate keeper had locked that gate early that day.That noise was heard by all the workers residing in the nearby line sites.

Jumping over the gate he ran to the gate of Ken's bungalow,banging and kicking it, shouting and swearing, again and again.Ken remained quiet and just watched him misbehaving like an Ape from his bed room window.Laughing to himself imagining the end of the accountant was near,by embarrassing himself he had dug his own grave..Within those passing minutes his assistants had opened the gate and came to pick him back to the Mill.

Next day he pretended as if nothing had transpired but Ken had it all nicely planned.The Boss came to the plantation a few days later.As normal Ken went to see him but could not see him as he was going through the Mill.But he saw Ken from a distance and later saw Ken there.

Ken by now also a good actor he pretended to have some thing to say but hesitated.The Boss saw that he had something to say followed him to the plantation office where Ken was "forced" to relate that night's incidence to him.The Boss took it calmly and after careful thought said,"Don't worry,I will deal with him my way."

Days passed and weeks passed and within this period the accountant tried to make appointments on other matters but he refused to see him.Finally he traveled down to the Head office and requested permission to see the Boss only to be told that he was too busy,refusing to see him.There was no way he could see the Boss despite of important matters pertaining about the Mill's progress etc..

The last stray was the Mill's assistant while collecting spares came to face with the Boss.The Boss instructed him to inform the accountant to pack and leave to Mill without any further notice with immediate effect.Thus he was to leave without knowing what missile struck him.

Ken was so pleased that he was already a changed man, his previous encounters which were so adverse against him were actually good experiences he accumulated along the way to glory.Those failures were in fact the mother of his success
without those bad moments he would never had become so brilliant to overcome all problems.Thus to err and to forgive divine..........................












To continue